


The Life and Times of Kevin Darling

by rumdiddlefiddle



Category: Blackadder
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 21:25:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11540724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rumdiddlefiddle/pseuds/rumdiddlefiddle
Summary: Following the life of one Captain Kevin Darling, following his embitterment and misfortune along the way, with the occasional ray of sunshine here and there.





	The Life and Times of Kevin Darling

23rd March, 1896

It was a typical Spring day in South East England, grey skies and clouds overhead, while the heavens remained mercifully shut, at least for the time being.

There was the typical screaming and yelling children bouncing off the walls of the courtyard of Ipplethorpe primary school as they played upon the cobbled stones kicking shabby footballs and skipping rope. Absorbed in their revelry, Kevin Darling’s absence was certainly not noticed by any of his classmates.

This thought did not comfort Kevin, but it did not upset him either. It was not as though he thought he had any friends to miss him. He knew he was as unpopular as a leper in a massage parlour. Still, that day’s bullying session had been particularly vicious.

Kevin supposed it had been his fault. Before classes had started that morning, he had witnessed Christoper Campkin pass several pieces of gum to the other classmates. Out of a mix of outrage that the school’s rules were being so flagrantly disobeyed and bitterness that he did not receive a piece, he promptly reported Campkin to the teacher, Mr Brown, who had reprimanded Christopher in front of the class, praised Kevin, demanded all the pieces of gum and gave Christopher lines after school.

Having miffed off most of the class, several boys cornered him later, giving him several punches and kicks all over his body, before picking him up and shoving him and his packed lunch into a muddy puddle. He had stumbled off to the toilets, trying his very hardest not to cry or break into a run and went to nurse his bleeding elbow and wipe his sniffling nose.

“I was only following school rules’” thought Kevin bitterly. “Mr Brown thought I did the right thing”. While Kevin wasn’t overly fond of Mr. Brown, an elderly man whose unpleasant demeanour did almost as a good a job at scaring boys away as his halitosis did, but Kevin enjoyed his commendation and often needed his presence to avoid the beatings of the other boys. Mr Brown had not been in the courtyard today.

As the clangs of the end of break bell broke through his thoughts, Kevin unenthusiastically gathered himself together for afternoon classes, his school uniform drenched and ripped- he didn’t like to think what his mother would say when he got home that afternoon.

 

* * *

 

“Kevin! What have you been up to, young man?!”

Upon seeing the scraggly state her son had arrived home in, Kevin’s mother began fussing over him.

‘“Did you fall into a puddle again?”

“Y-y-yes.” Kevin cursed inwardly- his stupid stammer always acted up at exactly the wrong time, and he felt his eye twitch along with it.

She pulled his school bag off his shoulder before gesturing upstairs. “Go change into some home clothes and bring down your dirty laundry. There’ll be a biscuit in it for you” a gentle yet pitying smile crossing her face, and Kevin returned a false one before turning and walking swiftly upstairs, his eyes burning.

Kevin had once told his mother that he was picked on by the other boys. She then promptly went around to the mothers of his classmates to say what had happened. The bullying had only worsened since that day so he now kept it to himself. He didn’t particularly enjoy telling his mother that he didn't have a single friend. His lip began to wobble and he breathed in deeply and sharply through his nose in an effort to stop tears.

He came downstairs and handed his mother his damp uniform, quietly thanking her for the biscuit before going off to read his old, yet so pristinely kept it was good as new, adventure comic.

**Author's Note:**

> Phew, first chapter. Been wanting to do this for over a year now- my first fan fiction in about 7 years- probably not much better than the ones I wrote at 13 to be honest. 
> 
> I’ve been in love with Darling ever since the beginning of last year and I wanted to create a somewhat sympathetic side to him while still keeping him in character as a sycophantic prat- hopefully I kept that and I will endeavour not to be too nice to him (no matter how much it hurts me)- feedback and comments much appreciated, and will hope to have more chapters up soon!


End file.
